Safest places to live in Mississippi from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in Mississippi is in Benton County, Calhoun County, Carroll County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Harrison County, driven by hurricane. This page ranks every Mississippi county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in Mississippi
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Benton County | Low | none rated high |
| Calhoun County | Low | none rated high |
| Carroll County | Low | none rated high |
| Choctaw County | Low | none rated high |
| Franklin County | Low | none rated high |
| Issaquena County | Low | none rated high |
| Jefferson County | Low | none rated high |
| Jefferson Davis County | Low | none rated high |
Highest-risk counties in Mississippi
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Harrison County | High | hurricane |
| Copiah County | Elevated | landslide |
| DeSoto County | Elevated | tornado |
| Forrest County | Elevated | tornado |
| Hancock County | Elevated | hurricane |
Dominant perils in Mississippi
Across Mississippi, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are tornado, hurricane, landslide. County rankings reflect physical exposure, not dollar value, so a county can rank low here even if it is densely developed. For a specific property, the flood zone and exact peril ratings matter more than the county summary.
Look up any Mississippi address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.